“Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NIV).
After the Israelites left Egypt, God promised them that they would establish their borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines and from the desert to the River. God said he would drive away their enemies. God had just demonstrated His power by sending plagues upon the Egyptians. He provided food for them that fell from the sky.
But when Moses sent some spies into the land God promised them, it seems that all the wonders God performed was forgotten. God had promised them victory, but all the spies saw were giant men that would surely kill them. There were only two of the ten spies, Caleb and Joshua, who believed that God would help them conquer these giants.
The people let fear overcome their faith in God, and because of that God said they could not enter the Promise land. Instead they wandered around in the desert until that generation died. Joshua and Caleb would be the ones that entered 40 years later.
In our lives, giants can squelch our faith. These giants can take the form of health issues, financial woes, family problems, personal problems, and fear. Instead of concentrating on our great God, we have a tendency to focus on the worst. Moses told the people when they said that they did not want to go face the giants these words, “Do not be terrified, do not be afraid of them. The Lord you God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt…………There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place” (Deut. 1:29,30 NIV). The Lord is waiting to carry you so that you can meet your giant head on with faith knowing that He will help you. Our God made the universe and threw the stars in place. He can easily pick you up and give you the strength to face your giant with courage and reassurance that with Him all things work out for good. Trust Him to be with you and don’t doubt.
Dear Lord,
All of us have some kind of giant we are facing. Please help us to trust you to carry us when we feel we can’t make it on our own. Give us faith to believe that you can stop our giants from squelching our faith in you. Thank you for your strength.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
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